Just a few years ago, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission was hit with necessary updates to its fish hatcheries due to changes in the standards of water quality exiting the hatcheries. Repairs to old dams became big news and threatened to bankrupt the PFBC.

Now, it is health care and retirement for employees causing trouble. Somehow the PFBC has to come up with money for all of these things, along with the normal functions that Pennsylvania anglers have come to expect.

Guess who has to pay for it?

We, the license-buying anglers, do. Knowing that does not make it any less hard to accept, though. One thing that will solve nothing is taking it out on the PFBC. That is essentially kicking our own butts.

Among the ideas for increasing funds are getting more money from seniors, and a voluntary junior fishing license.

The latter has been suggested before, and was shot down. But at that time, it would not have been voluntary.

There is a bonus for licensing junior anglers. The PFBC would be getting an additional $6,000 for every 1,000 youth licenses sold due to federal funds we receive based on the number of licenses sold.

I like the idea of a voluntary fishing license for junior anglers, but it would have to be something attractive. My suggestions are either a patch or a pin-on button, both of which would be collectable, and I think a lot of kids would proudly wear.

Seniors get a pretty good deal now with the senior lifetime fishing license. I am not eligible until next year, so how about we wait a year before doing anything?

"When I go on the streams, I probably see more seniors than anyone else," PFBC executive director John Arway said during the meeting of the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee meeting held in Erie last Friday.

How true, especially on weekdays. Senior anglers get more for their license dollar than anyone else.

It has been pointed out to me that senior anglers seem to keep more fish than other age groups. That might be because they have less money than younger license buyers. Quite often, seniors are fishing for food.

Still, as Arway pointed out, seniors are the fastest-growing group of license buyers. A modest boost in license fees is not out of line, especially looking at the alternative. The money must come from somewhere, and the way things are going, every age group of anglers will have to contribute.